Please Make Me Your Slave, Beautiful Cynthia
In the imperial palace garden, where flowers bloomed in full splendor, the esteemed noble sat in a baroque chair with the air of someone who had no intention of leaving until he achieved his goal. A maid from the imperial palace stood beside him, holding a parasol to avoid offending the foreign aristocrat.
“You did deliver the message to Princess Cynthia, right? That I wish to meet her. No, that I wish to marry her.”
“Yes, Count. I believe it was conveyed clearly.”
“Good… I’ve waited so long. For that rumored princess whose face I’ve never even seen.”
Count André. Not only had he successfully inherited an ancient count family with seventy-seven generations of history, but his maternal bloodline connected directly to the royal family of Grimoire. The current king of Grimoire’s younger sister was his mother. In other words, he too was born at the very pinnacle of this world’s upper class. He was a great noble with absolutely no shortcomings when it came to demanding Princess Cynthia as his bride. On top of that, he was strikingly handsome. The social parties Count André attended were said to be packed with spectators who came just to catch a glimpse of him.
“Earlier when I met Emperor Charles, his expression was absolutely rotten. Could it be… the rumor that he’s hiding his daughter because he wants her all to himself is actually true? Hahaha! That old man really has no shame, does he?”
“………”
“Oh, right. This isn’t Grimoire. This is Lydorphia.”
Not everyone looked upon Lydorphia—the supreme power that flaunted its wealth and glory even while the rest of the world suffered under the Demon King’s army—with reverence. Count André quickly realized that joking about Emperor Charles was inappropriate in this country and let out a small chuckle.
The maid’s hands trembled as she held the parasol for hours without rest. If she were to join in badmouthing the emperor, she might lose her head… or worse, her entire family could be wiped out. Yet she couldn’t be rude to such an important guest either. The best option was to pretend she hadn’t heard anything.
“Hoo… Anyway, why is Cynthia taking so long? This has to be a new record for waiting on a woman. If someone keeps me waiting even thirty minutes, I just leave.”
“…I see.”
“Still, if she’s the princess of Lydorphia, she’s worth the hassle. Her political value is actually greater than the Hero’s. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“…I’m just an uneducated maid, so I don’t know anything about politics.”
“Well, of course commoners wouldn’t understand politics. Why don’t you go call Cynthia for me?”
“Her Highness the Princess is currently learning proper feminine etiquette for Your Grace.”
“Oh… Now that sounds promising.”
Just as the maid had said, Cynthia only appeared after half a day of grueling special training, when the afternoon sky had turned red with the setting sun. She hurried over with quick, dainty steps. Count André, who had grown exhausted from waiting and was reaching the limit of his patience, felt all his anger melt away like snow the moment he saw the princess’s face.
“Oho! J-just as the rumors said… No, even more beautiful than the rumors. Princess Cynthia… Even the most celebrated ladies of high society would look like withered, shabby flowers next to you.”
He made up his mind the instant they met. A woman this beautiful was the empire’s princess? What more was there to hesitate about? Why would he hold back?
“I believe love isn’t about time, but sincerity. Though we’ve only just met, Cupid’s arrow has plunged me into a moment of burning passion. Will you marry me? Our union will surely be the marriage of the century! Let us become the couple that symbolizes the harmony between Lydorphia and Grimoire and shine like stars in the sky.”
André proposed on the spot. What woman in the world wouldn’t dream of receiving a proposal from a man like him? Who would refuse the enormous wealth and honor that marriage to him would bring? André had already gone so far as to imagine using the villa his recently deceased uncle left behind as their honeymoon home.
At least until he felt the sole of a foot gently pressing down on the crown of his head.
“…Huh?”
“Kyahahahaha! You think someone like you could marry a beautiful girl like me? Do you even look in the mirror? Didn’t you mean to say, ‘Please let me lick your feet’?”
“…What?”
He doubted his ears. Never in his life had he heard such rude insults. The princess’s behavior lacked even a shred of dignity. For now, he held back. After all, she was the princess of a great power.
“Oh, that’s right! There’s a female cat living in this garden. If you were her husband, I might allow it. Kyaa—hahahaha!”
“…….”
“Anyway, you dared to spout such arrogant nonsense at the cutest lady in the world, Cynthia. You should be punished for that, right?”
“Punished…? Ow!”
A whip coiled around him like a snake. A curved red welt rose on his skin.
“Kyahahaha! Cry, you pig! Cry!”
“You crazy bitch!!”
That night, Cynthia couldn’t fall asleep easily from anxiety. She hugged her pillow tightly, unable to understand what had happened, and asked Perma.
“Did I do well today? I followed exactly what you taught me, right, Grandpa?”
“Yes. You were truly the model of a splendid lady.”
“But Count André… seemed angry. Why?”
“…….”
Looking into the innocent child’s eyes, Perma felt a pain as if thorns were piercing his conscience. But right now, his wife’s life took priority over any personal feelings.
“…Do you know of a country called Grimoire, Your Highness?”
“Yeah… It’s a powerful nation to the east, right?”
“Correct. At one time, they were called ‘Lydorphia of the West’ and ‘Grimoire of the East,’ the two wings that divided the Pangaea continent where humans live. Unfortunately, Grimoire’s proximity to the Demon Continent made it extremely vulnerable to the Demon King’s army. While they desperately fought the demons and exhausted their national strength, our Lydorphia steadily gathered power, ending the era of two superpowers and ushering in the age of a single unrivaled empire. That is also why only the king of Lydorphia may claim the title of Emperor.”
Even Perma himself was inwardly surprised at how smoothly the lengthy explanation flowed from his mouth.
“I read about that in a book. So?”
“From Grimoire’s perspective, it’s unfair. They originally possessed power comparable to ours, but after acting as a breakwater against the Demon King’s army, they lost the lead. They resent us, claiming that Lydorphia was able to safely build its strength thanks to Grimoire holding back the Demon King’s army, yet we repay that kindness with enmity.”
“…Hmm… And?”
Cynthia furrowed her brows, clearly wondering what any of this history lesson had to do with their current conversation.
“Count André is also a noble of Grimoire. In other words, he hated us from the very beginning.”
“What? Then why did he propose to me…”
“That is Grimoire’s method. They are also the nation with by far the highest number of people who have fallen and become demons due to frequent contact with the Demon King’s army. To Count André, Your Highness’s kindness must have been rather uncomfortable.”
“Hmm…”
“In this world, there are those who enjoy malice and unkindness, just like rats that love sewers. He approached you with impure intentions and became flustered by Your Highness’s kind response.”
“But… something feels off.”
Even though Perma desperately scraped together nonexistent knowledge to make excuses, Cynthia—despite knowing nothing of the world—couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of dissonance.
Upon receiving this report, the Emperor ordered that the entire detached palace where Cynthia lived be converted into a massive gaslighting factory. To Cynthia, who could not take a single step outside the palace, that place—which was practically the entire world to her—became a theme park built for one person alone.
“Breakfast has been served, Your Highness.”
“Ah, thank you…”
“………”
The maid who had handed over the soup with a bright smile froze. It was as if she had heard something extremely unpleasant. Cynthia immediately realized her mistake, flashed her growing fangs in an arrogant smile, and laughed.
“Ohohoho! Did you really think that I, the ultimate beautiful girl, would thank you for mere soup? Ptooey!”
A mouthful of spit flew onto the maid’s face.
“That’s my thanks for the soup. What do you say?”
“Thank you so much, Your Highness! As expected, you are the kindest person in the world!”
Only then did the maid smile with satisfaction and shower her with praise. The maid was not particularly a masochist. All staff working near the princess had been trained to behave this way. It was the Emperor’s scheme to corrupt Cynthia’s values by having them openly show displeasure at her kind and warm words, while rejoicing when she insulted them.
“This way, no one will want to marry Cynthia, right? Hahahahaha!!! Cynthia will live here with me forever!”
Watching the Emperor’s maniacal laughter, Perma could only tremble in fear.
The poor Princess Cynthia was surrounded by adults who begged her to step on them wherever she went. Little by little, she became isolated exactly as the Emperor intended. Everyone she met thanked her profusely for insults, enjoyed being hit, trampled, and verbally abused. Naturally, she came to believe that this was the correct way to interact with others.
Above all, even Perma—the person she trusted most—participated in this gaslighting. It was impossible for a girl who was still in her teens to see through the deception.
After their daily routine, Perma would sit Cynthia down and read The Hero Who Wants to Be Insulted to her. It was a vicious brainwashing novel created by the Emperor to suit Cynthia’s taste for hero stories. The main plot followed a hero who deliberately picked fights with a mage to make her angry because he wanted to be insulted. To anyone unaware of the context, the hero would seem like a pervert, but Cynthia simply thought of it as a normal adventure novel.
Cynthia was particularly fascinated by the hero character, whose love for the mage only grew deeper the more he was insulted.
“I see! So the hero wants to be insulted! Then if I ever join the hero party, I’ll be able to get close to him right away! I practice insulting people here every day, after all.”
“…That’s… right.”
“Hehe. At first, it felt uncomfortable hitting or stepping on people I didn’t even hate or saying mean things to them. But once I told myself they actually wanted it, I got used to it.”
“That’s… good to hear.”
“When I think of it that way, I feel grateful to Father. Thanks to him, I’ve gained confidence that I can get along with the hero! Ehehe.”
The princess, being defiled without knowing anything. That pure, innocent smile. Those eyes dreaming of a future that would never come. All of it was the Emperor’s sin.
And at the same time… Perma’s sin.
“Oh, right. As thanks for reading to me today, I’ll step on you, so put your face out, Grandpa.”
“…Yes.”
At least when the princess stepped on him, his heart felt somewhat at ease. It gave him the feeling that he was receiving the punishment he deserved.
“Hehehe. Someday I’ll step on the hero like this too. Then he’ll like me, right?”
“O-of course…”
Perma, no longer able to endure the guilt tearing at his conscience, finally knelt before the Emperor and confessed everything. He could no longer stand by and watch Cynthia being destroyed. However, the Emperor latched onto a strange point and instead went into a frenzy.
“Cynthia is grateful to me?”
“Your Majesty… that’s not what I—”
“I knew it! Cynthia loves me too! Bring her to me at once! The time has come!”
“Your Majesty… that’s not what I meant.”
“Bring her now!”
“Aaaargh!!”
The Slave's Mark burned hot against the old man’s withering body.
It was a pipe dream for a mere tutor to defy the Emperor. In the end, Cynthia was dragged before him.
His daughter, now matured and wearing a dress as beautiful as a flower. The Emperor’s aged body burned with childish lust. It was utterly repulsive and filthy.
“Ooh, Cynthia! My daughter! You look just like your mother!”
“Mother? I can barely remember her now. I only vaguely recall that she was a mage…”
“That woman was a witch! She betrayed me and ran off for some ridiculous reason! With a prince from a minor country…”
“A ridiculous reason?”
“You don’t need to know. You just need to stay by my side… Oh, my Cynthia. My sunlight.”
“…Father?”
Even the oblivious Cynthia sensed that something was terribly wrong and took a step back. Father was… scary.
“Come to my bedroom tonight, Cynthia.”
“What?! W-why me?”
“Comfort me. Become the sunlight that illuminates the throne so I can endure this cold.”
“No!!”
A piercing scream. The Emperor’s face, twisted with betrayal, was quite a sight. Betrayed by what, exactly?
“I-I’m going to go on adventures with the hero! I’m going to defeat the Demon King and save people! Father, you should go on a matchmaking meeting with a lady your own age and remarry or whatever!”
“…Cynthia? Where are you going…”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
She squeezed her eyes shut and ran. The Emperor, left in shock and abandoned, froze with his hand stretched out toward empty air.
“I hate it! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it all! I don’t want this!!! This isn’t my life!!!”
That night, Cynthia—who had inherited her mother’s talent for magic—blew up the detached palace wall with an explosion spell and ran away. In search of the adventures with the hero she had dreamed of.
However, the hero she finally met was nothing like the one she had admired. He was, how to put it, cowardly, irresponsible, quiet, and the kind of boring man who pushed all the chores onto Cynthia.
Is this path not my path either?
I won’t ever return to the imperial palace, but staying beside this hero doesn’t feel like an adventure at all.
Above all, the silent time we spend together is so awkward I can’t stand it.
Maybe she should just quit everything and become a farmer. She had never farmed before, but it had to be more bearable than spending twenty-four hours a day in silent training with the hero.
—It was on a day when such thoughts filled her mind.
“My name is Werther! I really want to join the hero party! Hero! And Miss Mage? Please let me into your party!”
She met Werther. Her first impression was… honestly, exactly Cynthia’s type. A body tempered by physical labor. Thick eyebrows. A high nose bridge. A chiseled jawline. Pale skin that somehow looked elegant even under rough leather clothes. She liked him very much. To Cynthia, who had only ever been around older men like the Emperor and Perma, he was a completely new type.
“What makes an incompetent pig with no talents think he has the right to join our party? I can’t let you join, but I’ll step on your face instead, so be grateful! Kyahahahaha!”
“…Ugh…!”
“Oh dear. Are you angry? A mere pig knows how to get angry? Kyahahaha! If you don’t like it, then get lost!”
Cynthia, whose gaslighting was already complete, expressed her affection exactly as she had been taught—through insults. For the record, she had done something similar to the hero when they first met and the atmosphere had become extremely awkward, so she had been holding back since then. But old habits die hard.
Honestly, even as she trampled Werther’s face with her shoe, Cynthia’s heart was pounding with tension.
What if he gets serious like the hero did?
“What are you hesitating for? Do you want to travel with me that badly? Is it because I’m the ultimate beautiful girl?”
“…Grr…!”
Would it work?
“If you want to become my subordinate, beg me by saying, ‘Please make me the slave of the beautiful Cynthia!’ Kyahahaha! If you don’t like it, just leave! You idiot! Loser! You can’t even speak properly, you incompetent fool!”
“……Grrrr…!!”
Would it actually work? The social skills she learned in the imperial palace?
Cynthia waited for Werther’s reaction with extreme nervousness. Werther slowly lifted his head, forcing a smile. At the time, he was desperately thinking only of his younger sister and suppressing his murderous urges, but there was no way Cynthia could have known that.
“P-please make me the slave of the beautiful Cynthia. I beg… you.”
“…Ha.”
It worked. Insults worked on this man. Cynthia jumped up and down with joy.
“Hahahaha! What! O-okay. I’ll specially allow it. Ahem! From now on, you are the first direct subordinate of this adorable Cynthia. Got it? I’ll let you serve me.”
“…As long as you help defeat the Demon King, I’ll do anything…”
“S-specially, you can even lick my instep. I’ll allow it.”
“…If I lick your instep, can I go kill the Demon King right after? Then if I kill you too, mission complete.”
“Too fast! Way too fast! The Demon King is supposed to be killed at the end! We’re still at the very beginning of the adventure and we need to gather more companions! And why are you killing me?! That’s weird, isn’t it? We’re… you know. We’re…”
“Haa…?”
While Werther was thinking, No matter how busy I am, I can at least kill this fucking bitch before going back to my sister, Cynthia felt her heart racing wildly at the fact that she had made a male friend for the first time. According to her common sense, she and Werther had now become friends.